One universal truth is that human beings are fairly fragile life forms. For thousands of years, humans have been vulnerable to receiving physical injuries, and are very susceptible to various different diseases, genetic defects, and pathogen infections. In general, people do not like to see other people suffering, and physical injuries and diseases are one of the most prominent forms of suffering as has been shown time and time again throughout human history. In direct response to this fact, compassionate people around the world have worked to better our understanding of the human body with the intention of learning new ways to help those who are suffering from injuries or disease. The study of the human body and the injuries and diseases which afflict it is known as the field of medicine. The field of medicine has been around for many centuries, and humanity has made significant gains in general knowledge, methodology, and treatments within the medical field. There are an incredible number of diseases and injuries which can be cured or repaired in the modern world which was simply beyond our understanding in the past. A person who dedicates their lives to the study and practice of medicine is typically called a physician. In the past, nearly all medical practitioners were known as physicians, however in the modern world there are many different career paths within the field of medicine. Only those who have graduated from medical school with a Doctor of Medicine degree are technically physicians, although they are more commonly called Doctors in the world today.
Some historical physicians who laid the basis for a logical and philosophical approach to medicine include the ancient Egyptian Imhotep, and the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. A logical approach to medicine based upon observable facts is in contrast with a mystical approach to medicine as was held for many generations in cultures throughout the world. Although the work of Imhotep and Hippocrates were based upon often incorrect anatomy, it was such people willing to search for natural causes of diseases and symptoms who laid the basis for the advancement of the field of medicine to the heights it has achieved in the modern world. Over the years humanity has broadened, improved, and refined its understanding of the physical human body. This increase in understanding has allowed for identification and treatment of diseases and physical injuries which were beyond comprehension and repair in the past.
There are a great many methods and technologies which are associated with the field of medicine and all of them have some specific purpose. Relating to the specific area of surgery, there is an incredible number of new technologies which have been developed to make surgery more efficient, more effective, and less intrusive for the patient. One of the more recent and radical advancements in the surgery is the rapidly developing field or robotic surgery; also known as computer-assisted surgery, and robotically-assisted surgery. Robotic surgery was developed to both increases the effectiveness of open surgery, and to overcome many of the limitations involved with minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive surgery involves making the smallest incision possible that is necessary to carry out the surgical procedure. In the past, minimally invasive surgery was very limited as it was very difficult for the surgeon to see what they were doing, oftentimes relying on ultrasound or endoscopic cameras. Robotic surgery has a great advantage in that only a small incision is needed to allow the robotic arms into the body cavity where surgery is being performed. Additionally, the robotic arms possess a plurality of incredibly precise servo motors which allow the arm to actuate about many different axes, thus enabling the surgeon to maneuver around organs and arteries with great efficiency. Additionally, most robotic surgery machines incorporate at least one camera arm to allow for clear viewing of the procedure being carried out; in robotic surgery, the machine is typically controlled by a trained physician.
Despite the advantages of robotic surgery as described above, the procedure does still have some limitations. One such limitation is the need for a bedside surgeon who may be another physician, a physician's assistant, or a certified nurse practitioner. This bedside surgeon is typically responsible for operation an endoscopic stapler which is used to rejoin severed tissues such that they will fuse back together properly when healing. The endoscopic stapler comprises a thin stem which is inserted into the body cavity where the surgery is being performed. The anvil of the stapler is typically guided beneath the structure to be stapled, and then the stapler is activated. Unfortunately it can be quite difficult to maneuver the stapler into place; a task that is made difficult by the fact that the person maneuvering the stapler only has a two dimensional view of the body cavity. It is imperative that the person operating the stapler does not graze any arteries or veins, as they could be damaged which subsequently results in life threatening internal bleeding. Most available endoscopic staplers have a fairly blunt and wide anvil, thereby making it very difficult to maneuver the anvil past arteries and underneath structures. Some endoscopic staplers make use of a guiding tip, however these tips are often specialized to one make or model of endoscopic stapler. There is a need for a guide tip which can be applied to virtually any make or model of endoscopic stapler, thereby ensuring that the surgeon is able to be maximally efficient with the tools that are available to them.
It is an object of the present invention to introduce a guide tip for endoscopic stapler which is compatible with a broad range of different makes and models of endoscopic staplers. It is a further object of the present invention that the guide tip be easy to place on the anvil, and easy to remove from the anvil. It is a further object of the present invention to comprise some smooth semi-rigid material which enables guidance of the endoscopic stapler while minimizing the chances that an artery or vein will be damaged by contact with the guide tip. It is a further object of the present invention to make use of magnetic attraction in order to secure the guide tip to the anvil in a way that is both effective and easy to use.